Tim G said...
@Slapshot You're exactly right. For every person who exercises too much, there are 20 who don't exercise at all. The message about exercise is that it's important for quality of life and maybe quantity.
Extreme exercise after middle age can lead to heart problems like afib.
Here is a link to a short youtube presentation by cardiologist James O'Keefe, MD about excessive exercise that may interest you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g8eey***so
Couldn't make your video work.
Please don't associate me with your own statistics "for every person who over exercises too much, there are 20 who don't exercise at all." These numbers refer to AFib candidates, that are life time podium riders in high endurance sports namely, cycling, running and cross country skiing, ( triathlons have not been around long enough), who make up a tiny proportion of the exercising population. I could throw in my own numbers which would be more accurate, 1 to 200,000. The majority of physical activities, basketball, soccer, swimming, MTB, hockey, baseball, tennis, pickle ball, the list is endless, have no mention of excessive exercise related AFib. So using a potentially life altering condition like AFib that affects a very small group of older, highly motivated, high endurance athletes that participate in 3 or 4 endurance sports out of thousands as a reason for not inhaling a full breath of air in to your lungs is a red herring.
You have used "extreme exercise " more than once in your previous posts. What exactly do you mean? For some sofa surfers, doing more than just walking the dog around the block is excessive exercise. The CDC has clear guidelines for the minimum amount of exercise per week(150 minutes moderate, 75 minutes vigorous) which only 23 % of the general population meets, us older folks, even less. My wife and I on a 5 hour steady hike up a mountain gaining at least 3000', would meet these guidelines in a day. Our friends we hang out with would do similar activities all the time throughout the year and none of us would consider this excessive exercise. You have used the expression,"excessive exercise after middle age can lead to heart problems such as AFib," a few times in your posts.
This expression relates to the tiny group of long term endurance athletes who have pushed their hearts to the max for many years to reach the podium, not to the millions of lifestyle exercisers who are go out daily and move their bodies so they can have the health benefits.
"The message of exercise is that it is important for quality of life." $5,000,000 in the bank, a loving partner, good relationship with your family, a great working career, these could all be important for quality of life.
I believe exercise is much more. You should read what the CDC has to say about
the benifits of exercise on their web site:
1) controls weight
2) reduces risk of cardio-vascular disease
3) reduce your risk from type 2 diabetes
4) reduce your risk of some cancers
5) strengthen your bone and muscles
6) improves your mental health and mood
7)improves ability to do daily activities and prevents falls if you are older
8) increases your chance of living longer
9) improves your sex life( hey, thats my imput)
10) boosts your immune system
I just watched a 5+ minute video by Dr John Mandrola regarding AFib, the same doctor that is in your Amazon book reference in your previous post. Don't know how to reference it.The book deals only with excessive long term exercise and AFib only . The video deals with AFib in the genneral population. He does mention excessive exercise as a cause of AFib, but it is after a long list of bad life style choices,(obesity, smoking, heavy drinking, diabetes, heart and stroke,the list goes on) that leads to AFib. His message is about
better lifesyle choices, exercise, as a way of preventing AFib and dealing with it if you have it.
Back to exercise. Had to kill 3 hours yesterday as my wife and her group, following a training schedule, had to warmup for an hour jogging on some hilly trails with their poles before doing another hour of pole striding up hills for 7 minute intervals(mimicks classic style cross country skiing), then she put on her roller skis and did another 1 hour on the roads nearby. Normally, I would be in that group, but still on the mend.
I walked for 3 hours at a moderate pace due to my fractured ribs. Taking deep breaths still uncomfortable. It is hilly country where we train, but it was so nice to take a moderate pace, rather than a vigorous one, something I haven't done for awhile.
Dave
Post Edited (slapshot) : 6/18/2020 4:31:09 PM (GMT-6)